1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to diamine compounds useful as organic photoconductive materials for use in electrophotography.
2. Discussion of Background
Conventionally, a variety of organic photoconductive materials such as poly-N-vinylcarbazole and triphenylamine compounds (U.S. Pat. No. 3,180,730); and benzidine compounds (U.S. Pat. No. 3,265,496, Japanese Patent Publication 39-11546 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 53-27033) are proposed to use in a photoconductor for use with the electrophotographic process.
The above-mentioned electrophotographic process is one of the image forming processes, through which the surface of the photoconductor is charged uniformly in the dark to a predetermined polarity, for instance, by corona charge. The uniformly charged photoconductor is exposed to a light image to selectively dissipate the electrical charge of the exposed areas, so that a latent electrostatic image is formed on the photoconductor. The thus formed latent electrostatic image is developed to a visible image by toner particles.
Fundamental characteristics required for the photoconductor for use in such an electrophotographic process are: (1) chargeability to an appropriate potential in the dark, (2) minimum dissipation of electrical charge in the dark, and (3) rapid dissipation of electrical charge when exposed to light.
However, while the above-mentioned conventional organic photoconductive materials have many advantages, they cannot satisfy all the aforementioned electrophotographic requirements.